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Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) Syllabus
Scottish qualification roughly equivalent to GCSE, taken around age 16 under the SQA framework.. The complete Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) outline — 8 subjects, 30 chapters and 118 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
5 chapters · 20 topics · 34 sub-topics
English4 chapters · 14 topics · 19 sub-topics
Biology3 chapters · 19 topics · 26 sub-topics
Chemistry3 chapters · 12 topics · 19 sub-topics
Physics3 chapters · 14 topics · 19 sub-topics
History4 chapters · 12 topics · 21 sub-topics
Geography4 chapters · 14 topics · 18 sub-topics
Modern Studies4 chapters · 13 topics · 20 sub-topics
Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) flashcard decks
420 question-and-answer cards across 8 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
How to work through the Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Mathematics carries 20 topics while History carries 12. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Scottish National 5 (Nat 5).
The ~125 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) syllabus?
Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) covers 8 subjects: Mathematics, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography and Modern Studies. Together they contain 30 chapters and 118 named topics.
How many topics does the Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) syllabus contain?
The full Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) outline breaks down into 30 chapters, 118 topics and 176 sub-topics. Mathematics is the largest single subject with 20 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) syllabus?
Roughly 125 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 6 weeks.
Are there Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) flashcards?
Yes — 420 question-and-answer flashcards across 8 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United Kingdom and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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